Ball of Wax
by tromana
Summary: Oneshot collection featuring characters from Gen 2. New: With The Monsters: An argument leads to disastrous consequences.
1. Internecine

**A/N: **So, as Little Stories is my collection of Gen 1 Skins oneshots, Ball of Wax is for oneshots featuring Gen 2 characters.

I'm actually really nervous about this one, so yes. I'm just going to get on with posting this and stop rambling.

x tromana

* * *

><p><strong>Title: <strong>Internecine  
><strong>Author: <strong>tromana  
><strong>Rating: <strong>T  
><strong>Characters: <strong>Naomi/Emily  
><strong>Summary:<strong> But she couldn't let that happen. Couldn't let somebody have that power over her again.  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I do not own Skins. Probably a good thing as this is terrible.  
><strong>Notes: <strong>Written for writeskins. Set early S4.

**Internecine**

She allowed her fingers to run over the contours of Emily's body. Naomi was grateful that her girlfriend was a heavy sleeper; it allowed her to indulge in quiet moments like this. She could let her mind run wild and just explore through the power of touch. It gave her a chance to re-familiarise herself with every aspect of Emily without it leading to sex. Not everything in their relationship revolved around fucking; sometimes, it was nice to just take a breather from it all.

This was something she had done time and time again, laying in bed, gently stroking Emily's porcelain skin, enjoying the peace and quiet. There was a familiarity to the routine already. Naomi had already committed Emily's curves to memory, knew them by heart, but that didn't stop her from needing to do this. Especially so as this time, it felt… different. Like a homecoming.

In a way, it was.

Emily muttered something incoherently in her sleep, turned over and bunched the sheets up in her arm. Immediately, Naomi took this as a sign to stop; she didn't want to wake Emily. After all, she looked at peace with the world, happy, comfortable. Just as she should in whilst sleeping. As far as she was concerned, everything was good. She had the girl of her dreams - as she had told Naomi countless times in the short time they'd officially been together - and things were pretty fucking perfect between them.

Except, they weren't.

Because of Sophia.

She'd been an accident. Naomi hadn't been looking to sleep with a girl who wasn't Emily. Fuck, she still wasn't even convinced that she was gay. There had just been Emily. It had always been Emily Fitch. Since she was twelve years old, she had loved the slightly more reserved of the two Fitch twins. For years, Naomi had denied it to herself, it was fucking queer, being gay. Her life was unnatural enough as it was, without adding that into the mix. But still. Emily. There was something about her that had told Naomi that gender didn't matter; she would have fallen in love with her, regardless. As corny as it sounded, she was 'the one'.

But she couldn't let that happen. Couldn't let somebody have that power over her again. For years, Naomi had been fucking furious with her mum; Gina Campbell had essentially stolen away her childhood. Firstly, there was the living without a dad thing. She could cope with that, really she could, even if she was still secretly harbouring hopes of an emotional reunion. But it was everything else. The mood swings, the communal living, the depression. Not that she could be blamed for her illness, nor that she could help it. It was just one of those things. But still, spending so much time looking after her mum as much or if not, more, than she was looking after Naomi had stripped her of her innocence. Had added to her cynicism. Had meant that she believed that everyone would hurt you sooner or later.

Deep down, Naomi had always believed that Emily would eventually hurt her. Because she was destined to do so. Nobody could stay so fucking perfect all of the fucking time.

At the Love Ball, Naomi had known that it was all downhill from there. That things were always going to go downhill. She was happy - the happiest she had been in such a long while. There had been a lot of inner conflict, a lot of growing to do, to get to that moment. She had to admit to things she had been bottling up for years, just be able to face that moment. The moment she confessed to it, she felt like a weight had finally been lifted off her shoulders. And the lightness she had felt, the happiness that had soared inside her as she kissed Emily in front of everybody she knew, nothing could have blotted it out. But after hitting that kind of emotional high, there was only one direction to go and that was down. Therefore, it was obvious to her that everything was going to be fucked up at some point. How, she couldn't be sure, but it was going to happen. Simply because she couldn't trust herself to give herself entirely to Emily, to put herself completely into someone else's hands. If she did, then it was just leaving herself open for attacks.

Naomi had never imagined, at the time, that it was because of that simple fact that the breakdown would occur. Then again, it was so naïve of her to think that. Because she wasn't perfect either, she could hurt people as much as they hurt her.

No. She _had _hurt people as much as she hurt them.

And she would do so again. When Emily found out.

Because the truth always found a way out. However hard you tried to repress things, however desperately you ignored that it happened, it always found a way.

There was no pretending she hadn't fucked Sophia. There was no pretending she hadn't enjoyed it at the time either. Sophia had been looking for comfort, for an experiment, to connect to somebody. Naomi had just happened to be there at the time. And being so fucking scared of her own girlfriend, of the future, of everything, she had been more than willing to throw herself into the distraction. Because it made her stop thinking for half a second, about the past, about where things would go. It meant she could just focus on the here and now and lose herself temporarily. Unfortunately, it also meant she completely forgot that there was such a thing as repercussions as well.

However, cheating didn't prove anything or make anything better. All it did was show that Naomi wasn't as strong as she thought she was. It certainly didn't prove that Emily _didn't_ possess a power over her. Wasn't the one that she was inexplicably connected to, attracted to like a moth to a flame. Couldn't make her or break her, however she chose to do so. If anything, it just solidified the fact.

Because Naomi Campbell had to come back to Emily. She just had to. It felt as if she had no choice whatsoever in the matter.

But soon, it'd be over.

And it'd be her fault.

end


	2. Distinction

**Title: **Distinction  
><strong>Author: <strong>tromana  
><strong>Rating: <strong>T  
><strong>Characters: <strong>Naomi/Emily, Jenna  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Sometimes, Emily swears that Jenna Fitch doesn't actually see her daughters as two individuals, but as a unit, a whole.  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I do not own Skins. I'm still just getting used to the characters as it is.  
><strong>Notes: <strong>Written for writeskins. Prompt: Individuality. Set early S4.

**Distinction**

"What did you expect?" her mother says. "That girl was no good, I always said that. This is what you get for doing something so… wrong. Girls don't sleep with other girls. You need a man, like Katie has."

Katie, Katie, Katie.

She's always being compared to Katie by her mother. Always. Because Katie is _so_ perfect. She's just like their mum and anyone can immediately see just how close they are. That's something she's never shared with either of their parents. Emily has always been just there, hidden in the shadows, another mouth to feed. Katie's the one who steals the limelight; it's just the way it is. It's the way their family works and it's going to take something pretty drastic to change that.

Sometimes, Emily swears that Jenna Fitch doesn't actually see her daughters as two individuals, but as a unit, a whole. After all, once upon a time, in her womb, they had been just the one child. Somewhere along the line, the cell decided to split into two and make two babies instead of one.

Two babies who had grown into two very different young women.

Not that their mother could see it.

"It's for the best, really, isn't it Rob?" Jenna continues, oblivious to the fact that Emily really doesn't need this now. "Rob? Didn't I just say this is better for her?"

Her dad isn't even in the room, he's somewhere else entirely. Probably giving James a hard time for something or other. He _had _been in the middle of comforting her, when he had to rush off with pretty much no explanation, after all.

Still, it doesn't matter. The fact is, she loves Naomi. Always has done and part of her suspects that she always will. And Naomi has completely destroyed her world, her faith in love, in happiness. Over the summer, things had been wonderful. Brilliant, even. It had been like they were trapped in their own little bubble and nobody could destroy it.

Until she found out about Sophia. About the lies, the deception, the untruths. Whatever you wanted to call it. It's all the same thing.

It means Naomi doesn't love her back. Or not as much as she thought, anyway. Not enough to stop her from straying into another woman's arms.

Emily snorts and starts coughing as snot catches the back of her throat. How disgusting. Naomi has reduced her to a gibbering mess - in front of her mother, no less. At least her dad had offered a hug and listened to her convoluted ramblings about how much she hates Naomi now before passing her over to his wife.

Except, she doesn't hate Naomi. Not in the slightest. She just hates what she's done and the effect that it has on her.

It's taken a long time for Emily to build up her confidence, to get herself to a level when she's willing to admit to her fucking homophobic mother that she likes girls. That she's gay and she's never going to be like Katie and start shagging men on a regular basis. JJ was a one off and she's never going to go back there again. It helped him and it helped her too; she knows for certain that she doesn't find men sexually attractive at all.

And now, she's back to fucking square one with her mum thinking that Naomi was the experiment and not the other way around. Any second now, she's going to ask whatever the hell happened to that dear, sweet JJ and that they had made _such_ a sweet couple. That she was stupid to dump him for Naomi.

Because JJ, even with all of his problems, would be normal to her. Compared to Naomi, at the very least. Something that Jenna could handle, because it meant that both her daughters were still exactly the same as one another and not all that different at all.

"Hey, hey, there's no need to cry," Jenna coos soothingly, stroking Emily's hair as she does so. "This is a _good _thing, sweetheart. It means you've got your experimentation phase out of you and now, you can focus on finding the right man."

She wants to swear, to scream and shout. To explain that this isn't some stupid bloody phase that she'll just grow out of. That this isn't her way of trying to get attention, to stop them from focusing entirely on Katie and James. Being gay is part of who she, Emily Fitch, is.

And just because Emily has had her heart torn out and shattered into a thousand tiny pieces, it doesn't mean that she's suddenly going to turn into Katie Fucking Fitch.

Because she can't, and won't. She's her own person and no amount of wishing or belittling by her mother is ever going to change that.

end


	3. Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend

**A/N: **Long time since I've had cause to update this collection. Such is life.

Thank you to Miss Peg for reviewing Distinction.

x tromana

* * *

><p><strong>Title:<strong> Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend  
><strong>Author:<strong> tromana  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG-13  
><strong>Characters:<strong> Katie Fitch, Effy Stonem  
><strong>Summary: <strong> "Diamonds are a girl's best friend, and man's best friend is the dog... which is the smarter sex?"  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Not mine.  
><strong>Notes: <strong>Written for reddawg82 as part of the Holiday Fics challenge. Also for skinsprompt table D. Prompt 8.

**Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend**

"Did you know Cook's just got himself a puppy?"

Katie hadn't even had a chance to sit down before Effy's outburst, but that was hardly surprising. Effy lived life to her own schedule and everyone else simply had to accommodate her. But those who got to know her - really got to know her - always considered it to be worthwhile. She had a fierce intensity that you rarely found in other people. Her life was like a rollercoaster ride and usually, you found yourself more than happy to tag along for the ride.

It had taken Katie a while to appreciate Effy's eccentricities. But now, she couldn't regret the effort she had put in, not for an instant.

"No way, babes," Katie eventually replied, "why'd he do a thing like that?"

Effy merely shrugged in response and instead, offered Katie a cigarette. Automatically, Katie shook her head. She'd tried smoking once, thanks to Effy, and still couldn't really see the appeal. It was something best left to her sister, she decided. Besides, it killed and that was an undeniable fact.

"He can barely look after himself, why would he want a dog?" she continued, when Effy remained silent. "What kind?"

"Border Collie."

"Cute."

"If you like that kind of thing."

After extinguishing the cigarette, Effy turned to face Katie. She shivered slightly in response. It was always the same whenever Effy looked at her in that way; it was like her blue eyes could bore into your very soul.

"Now. You've got something to tell me."

A smile quickly erupted over Katie's face. This was the real reason she had wanted to meet up with Effy today, not to discuss Cook and his newest pet. Of course, Effy hadn't given her a chance to dictate where the conversation would go. That was saying something, considering she was Katie Fucking Fitch and she demanded attention.

Unless, of course, she was with Effy. Then, she didn't have a chance.

"Oh, yeah."

Immediately she flashed her left hand at Effy and she regarded it in the only way she knew how. A new ring, on a _certain_ finger, was all that was needed to get her point across. Katie watched her friend, almost bursting with pride, as Effy allowed her fingers to run gently over it.

"So, he finally grew a pair and asked you then?"

"Yes, it was so…"

"Knowing him, probably very nervous, stuttering and completely and utterly expected," Effy supplied, cutting Katie off.

"That wasn't what I was going to say," Katie retorted, slightly irritable at the fact that Effy constantly belittled her _fiancé_. "I was more thinking romantic."

"I know."

"There's a whole fucking carat of diamonds on that," Katie added, admiring her ring for herself. "A carat!"

"Nice," Effy responded, though it was obvious that rings - diamond or otherwise - were not really her thing. "You know, you and Cook both now have hairy, messy, slobbery creatures who won't ever leave you alone for the rest of your lives? But you got a carat of diamonds too. I think you got the better deal."

end


	4. Saving The World

**Title:** Saving The World  
><strong>Author:<strong> tromana  
><strong>Rating:<strong> T  
><strong>Characters:<strong> Naomi Campbell, Gina Campbell  
><strong>Summary:<strong> It's obvious why she does this.  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> If it was mine, I wouldn't need a disclaimer.  
><strong>Notes:<strong> Holiday fics, day 7, a day late because I was so busy yesterday. Written for miss_peg. Also for skinsprompt, table D.

**Saving The World**

You watch her.

It's a bad day today. You wish it wasn't, but it is and there's nothing you can do about it. Nothing you can say will pull her out of this funk. You've tried, of course you have. You wouldn't be _you_ if you hadn't.

Depression is a bitch, something that never really goes away. It's a ghost that haunts the corridors of the mind, always there, waiting for the opportune moment to rear its ugly head. And the supposed opportune moment is never one that makes sense. Naturally, it happens when things are bad, when it feels like life won't give you a break. However, it can also be when you're getting complacent, thinking that you've finally beaten the curse.

There's no pattern to it. All you can do is ride the waves, stand beside her and hope for the best.

Christ, it can't get as bad as it once was, can it? You sincerely hope not, for the both of you.

Her hand shakes as she tries to feed the baby. You don't even know if it's a boy or girl and you doubt that she does either. However, it's something she has to do, to keep herself going, if not sane. It's not the first baby to stay at the Campbell residence (that wasn't even you) and you're certain that it won't be the last either. It's amazing how many deadbeat mums end up crossing over the threshold at the moment. They're all looking for the same things: a roof over their head and a warm bed to lay in, if only for a few days.

It's obvious why she does this. She has this need, this compulsion to help all of the lost souls in the world. If there's one thing your mum understands, that's what it's like to face your darkest hour and think that nothing can rescue you from it. It's why she's obsessed with recycling, grows her own fruit and veg, buys organic, refuses point blank to drive a car, lives on a strictly vegetarian diet. If it wasn't for both of your weaknesses for Garibaldis, then maybe, it would be vegan instead.

It's why she helps anyone at any given moment.

If she's there for other people, then if it gets bad - really bad - she can hope that someone will hold her hand and do the same.

And because you never know when it'll be too late.


	5. Siren's Call

**A/N: **Thanks to Beck89 and smcl for reviewing Saving The World.

x tromana

* * *

><p><strong>Title:<strong> Siren's Call  
><strong>Author:<strong> tromana  
><strong>Rating:<strong> T  
><strong>Characters:<strong> Naomi/Emily  
><strong>Summary: <strong>Naomi was just the tipping point.  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> If it was mine, I wouldn't need a disclaimer.  
><strong>Notes:<strong> Written in an angst-off with Miss Peg. Also for skinsprompt table D: prompt: Sanctuary

**Siren's Call**

She swears she hears the sound of footsteps behind her. Emily turns, but nobody's there. Swallowing hard, she faces forward and continues heading towards the river.

Water, it ceaselessly changes, ever ebbing and flowing. It doesn't stay the same, not even for a second.

She feels like she's being pulled towards it, like she needs to get there and fast.

They're two kindred spirits, really.

It had taken her a good half an hour drive to get here, but still she cannot get to the side of the river fast enough. The sandy banks are calling for her, pleading for her to hurry up.

Slowly, she slips off her shoes and parks them neatly beside a rubbish bin. Maybe, somebody else will pick them up and wonder where their owner has gone.

She doesn't know and she doesn't care. Not now, not anymore.

Her feet sink into the wet sand. It's cool beneath her soles. If she weren't feeling the way she did, then maybe they would have awakened her senses, made her stop and think what she is actually doing.

As it is, all she can do is move closer and closer to the water.

For a short while, she chooses to stop. Not because she's scared, oh no, why would she be? Instead, she wants to watch the water, the debris as it floats on past to another life. A better one? Maybe. But equally, it could be so much worse.

Oh what it would be like to float away on the water, to allow herself to be dragged away to whatever fate held in store for her.

But isn't that what she's been doing all her life? Isn't that why she loves the water so much?

Isn't that why she's here, right now?

The sunset also gives her reason to pause. It's been a glorious summer's day in Bristol, such bittersweet irony. The world seems to be choosing to wake up just as she, is being forced to shrivel up and die like the autumnal leaf fall. Or maybe, it's just marking the end of her time with tragic irony. Let's see one last beautiful thing before everything must end.

Because everything does, sooner or later. There's no fighting against the inevitable.

Just the ability to speed it up a little, if you so choose.

Tucking a strand of red hair behind one ear, Emily finally takes her first step into the icy waters. Just because the day has been warm, it doesn't mean that the river is going to mimic the hot air. It chills her to the bone, but she doesn't care, because all over, she feels numb.

How can a person expect to survive when their heart – when everything – has been cruelly stolen from them in one stinking blast?

It's not long until she's waist deep, her hands delicately hovering above the water. She's half tempted to submerge herself here and now, but that would be no good. Not enough water, too tempting to resurface for that strangled gasp of air. Emily remembers games she used to play with Katie, seeing who could stay submerged for the longest. She never won; autonomous reactions, that visceral need for breath always overpowered her.

But not today; this time, she's in control, because she has to be.

She walks further and further, until her toes are struggling to reach the ground.

This is Naomi's fault.

Well, not really. Or at least, not entirely.

She was just the tipping point - that is all. Emily isn't even going to give her the perverse pleasure of being entirely to blame for being the one to push her over into the abyss, or rather, the watery depths of the River Avon.

Tears catch on her eyelashes as images of the blonde cross to the forefront of her mind. Good. That's all the more water for her to choke on, Emily considers. All the more water for her to drown in. It's just fucking perfect that way.

And besides, Naomi will never know that she's shed these tears for – because of – her. The water surrounding her, calling to her like a siren to a sailor, is more than enough to wash away all evidence of her anguish before her bloated body is discovered.

Emily finds she's adjusting to the water temperature now, even with the cooling air around her. It's surprised her just how long she's taken to get to the centrepoint of the river; the sun has nearly set entirely. A few remaining sparkling rays peeking out over the horizon are all that's left.

She takes a deep breath.

Now is as good a time as any.

It's time for her to take her final curtain call, to say goodbye to everything.

Weeds tangle around her legs as she finally submerges herself into the water. They are her flowers, good enough for one who pales in comparison to the ethereal beauty of Ophelia. It's their greeting she's accepting now, and having them tether her down to the ground is almost a comfort.

The stabbing in her side, in her lungs, calling out for a desperate, final reprieve is growing unbearable. Not long now, not long.

The pain will be over soon.

It will.


	6. With The Monsters

**A/N: **With thanks to Miss Peg and Beck89 for reviewing _Siren's Call_.

x tromana

* * *

><p><strong>Title: <strong>With The Monsters  
><strong>Author: <strong>tromana  
><strong>Rating: <strong>T  
><strong>Characters: <strong>Naomi/Emily  
><strong>Summary:<strong> An argument leads to disastrous consequences.  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I do not own Skins; this was written purely for the joy of writing.  
><strong>Notes:<strong> written for Miss Peg, who is about the only reason I write Skins fics ever.

**With The Monsters**

"You don't understand."

Emily shook her head, and Naomi reached out for her hand, but she pulled it away before she had a chance. Things had been fine between them for a long while, they had managed to smooth over the cracks that had formed, and had got everything back to an even keel. Emily loved Naomi, Naomi loved Emily and everybody was happy. Well, apart from Jenna, but even she was coming to terms with the fact that one of her twins was gay now.

And yet, three simple words had turned things on their head once again. Two hours ago, Naomi had been curled up in bed, with her arm resting lazily across Emily's stomach. Half an hour ago, they'd awoken and a misplaced comment had turned into a blazing argument. Now, Naomi was convinced that – yet again – she had well and truly fucked things over. If only she knew how to keep control of her mouth, if only Emily didn't have to overreact. Jesus Christ, was it really too much to ask for Emily to just calm down?

In a second, Emily vacated the bed, haphazardly pulled on some clothing and she disappeared downstairs. Naomi tried to make chase, but she failed dismally. In the end, she was standing in the door frame, wearing just a dressing gown and begging Emily to come back. Emily acted oblivious to the calls; she didn't even turn back and look as Naomi called for her. It was just the alcohol talking; she hadn't meant any of it. She was still drunk from last night and she was sorry.

But then, Naomi was always the one who to be sorry, wasn't she? She was always the one apologising for something, anything. Emily had this way about her, she somehow managed to make Naomi feel guilty for even the slightest of things and she hated it. When she knew for certain that Emily wasn't coming back, Naomi headed back indoors, grabbed her mobile phone and cigarettes from the living and headed outside. She needed to think, she needed to get her head straight again.

She watched as the wisps of smoke climbed into the air and disappeared into the ether. She still loved Emily, she knew that, but she couldn't help but wonder if whatever it was they had was disappearing like her smoke was dissipating into the night sky. Sometimes, love alone just wasn't enough. Naomi desperately wished it was, because then, maybe they would still have been in bed instead of outside, half-drunk and moping because the other wasn't around.

Eventually, the chill got to her. She extinguished the cigarette against the brick wall and dropped the stub on top of the pile on the ground. Shivering, Naomi made her way back indoors. Instead of going back to bed, she went and sat on the couch and stared out at nothing in particular. As an afterthought, she pulled a blanket on around her shoulders and waited. Emily would come back soon; she would want to apologise for overreacting, and she would say she was sorry too, and then they would kiss and have make-up sex and everything would be fucking perfect again.

When she woke, it was to the shrill tones of her mobile phone calling out for her attention. Naomi scowled, swore and whilst she was still half-asleep, she reached out for the offending device and pressed it against her ear with a slurred 'hello'. When she heard what the caller had to say next, she swore loudly, apologised profusely and then noted down the important details.

Jesus Christ, she had to get down to the hospital and fast.

xxx

"You're Emily Fitch's next of kin?" the nurse asked and Naomi nodded.

Three months back, after Emily moved in with her, they had decided to get engaged after a particularly nasty argument. They hadn't set a date for when they would have their civil union; though Emily always said she'd have preferred to get married properly, but it was a good enough compromise to last until the fuckwits in parliament saw sense for equality. As a consequence, they had already unofficially decided they were each other's next of kin. Some days, Naomi was still thrilled by the concept of actually having a wife in the (near) future, other days, like earlier this morning, she wasn't quite so sure.

Now, guilt was eating away at her insides. She knew it was going to be pretty bad, the doctor had made it that clear on the phone. All she could think was – that she could lose Emily, that this could be it, that she had no choice in the matter now - and it was her fault. If she had been able to calm Emily down, if she had stopped her from storming off – presumably to her parents – then maybe, she wouldn't have been hospitalised.

Naomi still wasn't sure how, or where, driving under the influence of alcohol had come into the matter. They didn't own a car, not yet, anyway. It was far too expensive. Emily's parents did, though, and she knew that her fiancée was insured to drive it. Had she really decided to borrow her dad's car in the dead of the night, still half-drunk in order to go for a drive and calm down? It made sense, and yet, the result was that she had wrapped the car around a tree and thus, was now left fighting for her life.

All because of a stupid fucking row.

All because Naomi hadn't been able to keep her mouth fucking shut.

Without another word, the nurse led her to a private room which was filled with numerous devices and machinery. She could barely see Emily's body lying prone for all the tubes that had been unceremoniously shoved into various orifices. And yet, Naomi knew that she needed them. It was this machinery that was giving her a fighting chance, that was keeping her alive. A solitary tear escaped from her tear duct and Naomi bitterly wiped it away. She had no right to be crying, not when she was the trigger for Emily's current state. At least nobody else had been involved, allegedly. There was no other family wishing their loved one would wake up – or worse, mourning for their death. Emily was the only one involved and had been lucky that there were witnesses so she could be pulled from the wreckage alive.

And yet, with her current state, Emily didn't look lucky at all.

Tentatively, Naomi sat down beside her and rested one hand on top of Emily's. Emily didn't respond in the slightest; she might as well have not been there at all.

"I'm sorry," Naomi whispered. "Please get better."

All that was left for her to do was wish – and even pray – that Emily wouldn't be snatched away from her so soon.


End file.
